Hospital bag! What was useful what wasn't so useful?

[saiyme09]

I'm a little way of to giving birth however as I enjoy being organised slightly neurotic I've been considering what to pack for my self the baby and if anyone found it handy for there partner to have some spare clothes and toiletries?

Big yes to flip-flops for shower.

Some olive oil to put on baby's bottom - makes wiping off merconum (spelling? That first black poo) a breeze.

Yes I took in 'waterwipes' brand of wet wipes which are basically just water and natural fragrance, but far easier than cotton wool etc for newborn.

And we used reusable wipes once home so not usually a disposable wipe advocate but I go for the easiest and most convient for the first few days

Delicious snacks (yummy biscuits, any cereal bars you can stand, choccy) to keep up energy
Dark coloured nightie if you are going to give birth in it (would have totally ruined anything light coloured)
Socks as air con is chilly
Capri suns
Range of baby clothes sizes (as was new baby both times but could have been different!)
Teeny baby nappies
Feeding pillow
Your own extra comfy pillow, I have giant memory foam one and was super comfy on crap hospital bed
Loads of pure baby wipes, and cotton wool
Eye mask is helpful for daytime nappage

Our hospital had tons of maternity pads and we were encouraged to help ourselves, so I only packed a few

www.clothingattesco.com/f+f/f+f-4-pack-of-full-briefs/invt/ca139009
Knickers like these are cheap enough to throw away and suitable for post C section.

I wish I'd had a breast pump as the hospital didn't have one available. I ordered it next day on Amazon. I wouldn't take one in my bag, but would have it accessible in case it was needed.

I had a small labour bag and a larger one that stayed in the car in case we stayed overnight - which we didn't so it wasn't needed.

from the labour bag i used:

• Oat and chocolate snacks
• drink with sports cap
• Tankini top (water birth)
• Outfit for DD
• Blanket for DD
• Spare knickers
• Present for DH and another for midwife
• the wonderful tens machine
• makeup and toiletries (only minimal, but helped me feel like 'me' again after)

Haribo and biscuits......as you have to wait eons for food.
Magazines...for the waiting (9 hours for a c section)...and drink cartons too for when your're too dehydrated for c section.hmmmm.
Disposable slippers from Primark for when you slip in something unmentionable on the ward. Seriously, the toilets are gross.
Disposable camera for when your battery packs up at inopportune moment.
Tweezers...don't ask.
Dry nights/pampers bed sheets for your self-change inbetween 72 hour sheet changes.
Money - lots of change for the shop.

And obviously all the other essential baby stuff that gets packed!

My DD was a kilo over estimated weight and tall and didn't fit into anything.DH had to go and get new babygros the next day. Always also buy the next size up just in case...you will always use them anyway.

Pillows!!! One per bed, thickness of a wafer, I forgot. Especially useful when breastfeeding.

Nappy sacks, really good for disposing of stuff/rubbish when you can't walk to the bin....and then asking DH to do so.

Yes ygritte. Pillows are a good idea - smell of home too. Check your hospital allows you to take your own. Home comforts were really important to me as DS was an unexpected inducton instead of a homebirth. DD was a one push wonder at home!

When my laboured started with my second chilld we gathered stuff, took our 2yo son to grans,grabbed the bags and headed to hospital.
During the late stages of a very quick labour it became aobvious that my OH had picked up the wrong bag- it was a bag we had used for a holiday a few months before. It contained a snorkel, mask and fippers;. The midwives were hysterical with laughter and could barely push for lgiggkes.

bigbluestars I hope you had a water birth?!

bigblue that's so funny!!

What could you do but laugh... Brilliant

I would also agree with other posters, flip flops for the shower were really useful. As was the tens machine, I found it really helpful.

Lots of great ideas on here already.

I found baggy black pj bottoms useful for go in home in. They look a bit like yoga pants. Really comfy and it's not obvious your wearing pyjamas!

Also very randomly I had bought massage oil specifically for labour from Amazon. I was bored on the bus one day and couldn't help myself.

My DH used it on me when I was on pethidine and had been labouring for over 30 hours. I still can't believe he remembered to use it. It was incredibly nice and really helped me to relax. Not exactly a necessary item but can make a long labour more tolerable.

Good luck! x

A carrier bag or two, so you can separate dirty laundry from the clean stuff in your bag, and still have it in there, out of sight of the entire ward, or if they make you change bed/bay/ward at 2 minutes notice BTDT
I second nappy sacks too, for stashing the poosplosion/projectile vomit babygros and vests (and socks and mitts and hat ) in until you can get them to the washer.
Bibs or muslin squares for general mopping up and catching drool/slavver/milk/tears/snot - there is no such thing as too many bibs!

Don't forget your charger and camera!!

Anti bac wipes if you're sharing a bathroom after the birth. Not everyone may be as careful as you .

Agreed, TooManyMochas! I got that tip about a pack of Tena ladies from Mumsnet too! Add two (or even three ) maternity pads with a sprinkle of witch hazel....aah. Good luck!

I found handcream an essential. If you're using the anti bac gel on your hands all day it's good to moisturise in between, especially as I had an EMCS and was in nearly a week.

When my sister gave birth she made sure to take a few sweets (like hard mints) to suck on (sugar + breath scent ;) ), some toiletries and towels as cleaning up after feels better with your own stuff - hospital towels can be horribly scratchy, comfy pjs - she chose a nightie with thin straps so she could drop the front easily to breast feed (other mums on the ward just had button up pjs, she didn't want to be climbing in and out of trousers though!).

She also took a ton of maternity pads (and needed them), packed alongside her throwaway black pants. However, my mum bought her a few pairs of DiaryDoll (waterproof pants) the day after she gave birth and she never needed the throwaways, they're like magic (look them up!!)

Just take whatever you think will make you comfy as you'll have a lot on your mind straight after birth :)

Bigbluestars that is genius, nothing like a snorkel to get you through labour !

What wasn't useful -tens machine, iPod and playlist, massage oil, maternity tankini, nightie for labour. What was particularly useful - clothes etc for baby, toiletries for me and lucozade sport for during labour.

I didn't really pack my bag properly, despite having it out from about 30 weeks it was only about half full when I ended up stuck in for induction after a growth scan, so I had to send DH home with a list of things i thought should be in there, half of which he managed to find, half of which as appropriate (he got sent home with a bag of stuff including frilly knickers and given more exact instructions) I only really used DD's stuff from the bag in the end and some playing cards. This time I'm packing a bit more comprehensively!